String Math 2019 Public Lectures: Cosmos and Mathematics

Public lectures held in connection to the conference String Math 2019 at Uppsala University on the topic: "Cosmos and Mathematics".

Two of the most renowned scientists and public speakers in the world will present their views on the role of mathematics in the study of the universe. What are the mathematical puzzles that the cosmos offers? What role does unification play in mathematics? These and other mindboggling questions will be discussed in two fascinating lectures that will bring the audience to the forefront of research in mathematics and the cosmos.

Edward Frenkel is a famous Russian-American mathematician, director and renowned writer of the New York Times bestseller “Love and Math”. His interest in mathematics started at an early stage when he privately studied advanced mathematics while in high school. He later got accepted as a graduate student at Harvard University, where he then continued his academic carrier as an associate professor. Frenkel is currently a professor of mathematics at University of California, Berkeley.

Professor Frenkel has been awarded many prestigious prizes for his work as a mathematician but also for his public outreach activity. He won the Euler Book Prize for his book “Love and Math”, which was also named one of the Best Books of 2013 by Amazon. The book has also been translated to 18 languages. He is also well known in the field for his ability to communicate popular science and in particular his numerous public talks and radio interviews.

Cumrun Vafa is a professor in physics at Harvard University, where he has been teaching and performing research since 1985. He was born in Iran 1960 and later moved to the US where he obtained his B.S. in mathematics and physics from MIT and then his PhD in theoretical physics from Princeton University.

With over 200 scientific publications, Professor Vafa has made many profound contributions to theoretical physics. Professor Vafa’s research is focused on string theory and the mathematical tools that are needed to explore it. For his groundbreaking work he has received several prizes such as the 2017 Breakthrough Prize in Fundamental Physics and the 2008 Dirac Medal of ICTP. He has also been awarded prizes for his work within mathematical physics from American Physical Society and American Mathematical Society.